PREP loves sharing good stories about inspiring people. All of the models on our hair menu are people with a real zest for life and we’re happy to introduce you to them as part of a series of PREP Stars.

Renyung Ho

What do you work as?
I work as a connector, and mainly, co-founder of a social business called MATTER.
I call myself a connector because that’s where my passion lies and the common thread of all my activities, whether it has been building a collaborative workspace, online community, or events series.
A little bit about MATTER – its about connecting rural artisans and designers to create travelware, the first edition of which are pants – pants to see the world in! We work with artisan communities in Rajasthan to create handloomed and blockprinted fabric that we then use for our pants, which are versatile, comfortable and stylish – perfect for the modern nomad. We are soft launching end of March so look forward to discovering more on matterprints.com.

What are some of the best parts of your work that you look forward to?
One of the most rewarding times was being in a blockprinting workshop in a small village called Bagru in India, working with a fifth generation printer who was also instrumental in documenting the process for Bagru to obtain the Geographical Indication (GI) for Blockprinting. (GI is what Champagne has for sparkling wine, for example). I had visited other workshops but no one could communicate to me the stories and process behind the printing as well as he did. He told me the stories and names of each print and this fascinated me to no end. We went through the process of natural dying, where minerals and plants are ground down to make fabric dyes. One of the key things I took away was how much variation the final product could have – the final colour and tone of the fabric depends on several factors such as the precise pressure of the blockprinter’s hand each time he repeats a pattern, the weather that day, how much wind, sun and humidity there is, and also the density and purity of the dye he is using. You never really know what you’re going to get until it’s done, and I thought that was a beautiful metaphor for life, and quite an antidote for the kind of digital work we are used to in a city like Singapore. So I guess the part I really love is being in a blockprinting workshop and seeing one of our prints emerge.

What are some interests you have outside of work?
I have a habit of taking a solo trip every year on my birthday and just traveling with my camera to a mountain somewhere and waiting for the sunrise. Its a humbling and inspiring journey. So traveling is a definite huge part of my life that will never go away. On a more active note, I also wakeboard and rock climb, although not as much as I would like to! The only thing that has really stayed with me through the years is photography. Other interests have started and waned depending on the stage of life I’m in. I really want to take up horse riding again, as well as the saxophone. I used to play the trumpet as a kid. If only we had more hours in the day….

What makes you excited about these interests?
I think photography perseveres because it reminds me of the beauty in small things, and unexpected moments. I love photography for the process and mindset it puts me in – there’s a kind of flow I feel when it’s just me behind a camera, and my mind’s eye is entirely focused on the small details in front of me. I am entirely present.

You’d most likely be found getting a blowout at PREP when you need to PREP for…
A wedding, special occasion, night out on the town, or when I just want to give myself a treat.

PREP loves sharing good stories about inspiring people. All of the models on our hair menu are people with a real zest for life and we’re happy to introduce you to them as part of a series of PREP Spotlights.

Ruoxi Tham

What do you work as?
I work as a do-whatever-needs-to-be-done in a start up that encourages energy efficiency.

What are some of the best parts of your work that you look forward to?
Some of the best parts of my work… are my colleagues (cliche but so true!) and ironically, learning to deal with problems I never thought I’d be faced with!!!

What are some interests you have outside of work?
I like crafting! And testing out all these DIY projects I see so much of when I’m on the internet.

What makes you excited about these interests?
I’ve always like the idea of being able to make things that I like, and most of all I really enjoy the process and product (even if most of the time it needs more practice). For example, I spent a weekend with 2 friends making little pins and tokens for another friend’s hen party. It was time consuming but very fun to see the fruits of our labor, and felt great that all our friends appreciated our time and effort.

You’d most likely be found getting a blowout at PREP when you need to PREP for…
Dinners, dates, parties, the list goes on..!!! PREP always makes me feel glamorous and pampered.

PREP loves sharing good stories about inspiring people. All of the models on our hair menu are people with a real zest for life and we’re happy to introduce you to them as part of a series of PREP Spotlights.

Jinhui Liu

What do you work as?
Full time “Facebook and Instagram surfer” as a digital marketing manager, part time running my little hobby called perkbykate!

What are some of the best parts of your work that you look forward to?
There is so much creativity within everyone and it makes me happy when I see everyone working together and throwing in their own ideas to create works of art that would otherwise not be possible. (Seeing normal black hair transformed into something you can call a “statement hairstyle” is so exciting too!) Also, the fact that my work is largely based on ever-changing digital trends keeps me on my toes, and that is challenging yet stimulating at the same time.

What are some interests you have outside of work?
I love travelling on the cheap – I find it challenging to be able to do as much as I want, and still keeping within a budget I have in mind. 🙂

My partner and I love to cafe hunt, but only for a specific type of cafe. We particularly enjoy the atmosphere and the uplift it brings to your mood sitting down at a brightly lit, minimalist and open-plan cafe, with a good cup of latte or mocha and a good read.

My other interests are quite basic, really. As long as I am able to get some down time – away from the hustle and bustle of work life – anything works. Staying home can be strangely therapeutic, visiting a reservoir for an amazing sunset can be calming or an hour with prep can be restoring. 🙂

What makes you excited about these interests?
In travelling, the ability to see the world out there and its great landscape is seriously exciting. We are just a small dot on the world map, so imagine how much we haven’t seen and experienced.

The excitement in the search for peace and quiet – in the context of cafes for example – is that you get to identify with another person’s interpretation of a sanctuary. And it is thrilling when you come across an establishment that is so aligned with your values and thoughts that you wanna go back again and again!

You’d most likely be found getting a blowout at PREP when you need to PREP for…
Definitely for weddings, or when I feel like I have a bad hair day and I need to get out of it pronto!

PREP loves sharing good stories about inspiring people. All of the models on our hair menu are people with a real zest for life and we’re happy to introduce you to them as part of a series of PREP Spotlights.

Lizy Chen

What do you work as?
I work as an in-house strategist.

What are some of the best parts of your work that you look forward to?
My teammates and colleagues! And the free nespresso machines.

What are some interests you have outside of work?
I practice yoga frequently, and go running outdoors. I also enjoy music, movies and learning new languages.

What makes you excited about these interests?
By trying new things and honing on my interests, I can see myself developing more fully and see an improvement in these areas which is encouraging.

You’d most likely be found getting a blowout at PREP when you need to PREP for…
Any cause for a celebration!!

PREP loves sharing good stories about inspiring people. All of the models on our hair menu are people with a real zest for life and we’re happy to introduce you to them as part of a series of PREP Spotlights.

SHERMEEN TAN

What do you work as?
A brand designer.

What are some of the best parts of your work that you look forward to?
Learning the most random facts while I’m researching to weave a tighter brand story together, like did you know the collective noun for zebras is a zeal of zebras ? Sieving through hundreds of visuals to create moodboards with the perfect nuances. Seeing a brand being birthed into life. Working with people who like to dress as strangely as me.

What are some interests you have outside of work?
Drinking tea. Reading. People. Workshops. Wikipedia & IMDB. Being curious.

What makes you excited about these interests?
Learning something new! Breadth, depth, skills-wise, about yourself, about someone else, about the cat next door, etc. It’s tons of fun.

You’d most likely be found getting a blowout at PREP when you need to PREP for…
A hot date with myself.